Kanye West – Lord, Lord, Lord

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A couple of weeks ago Kanye tweeted that he would be releasing a new track from his talented G.O.O.D. music label every Friday for the rest of the year. The GOOD news is that all of the tracks are available for free download on his website. He kept his word last Friday with the release of “Lord, Lord, Lord” – a sultry super track that is literally dripping in funk. As usual, Kanye gets by with a little help from his friends. This time Mos Def, Swizz Beatz, Rakewon, and the always soulful Charlie Wilson lend their voices over the seven and a half minute song.

Offstage antics aside, 808s and Heartbreak was in many people’s opinion a garbage album. Now that Kanye has gotten over his emo auto-tune phase, he can finally get back to making bad ass rap songs. Thank God because this is one of them! The major difference between “Lord” and most of his other work is that this is not a radio or club friendly song. Not because it is overly explicit (and it’s not even that bad), but for the reason that it will simply go over most people’s heads in this TV talent show era of pop music.

The main reason why this song is so unique is because of the rappers Ye chose for it. I will get back to Swizz Beatz in a minute, but how can you go wrong with Mos Def and Raekwon? These are two of the best scene setters in hip-hop history. After the old school keys and synths kick things off in the intro, Mos proceeds to KILL it with some of his silky smooth trademark word play: “Dead raw pageantry, lottery and games, the slight of hand provided by extravagant and fake.” He doesn’t even have to rhyme every line but they still sound like they are strung together by a master tailor.

After Charlie Wilson sings the chorus, next on the mic is Mr. West himself in a pretty solid verse. Everything seems to be going well until Swizz Beats decides to crash the party. Come on Swizzy, do us all a favor and stick to making party beats because you can’t rap you’re way out of a paper bag. Midway through he actually says: “Nowadays rappers, they like bloggers. You see me, I’m a bank hogger. Comin’ through your hood, on a Brinks truck… With 25’s on it like what da f*ck.” It seriously sounds like he smoked three swishers and wrote his verse in 5 minutes on the back of a McDonald’s napkin. It’s not just the fact that his lyrics and delivery are lazy, but he seems completely out of place with the high caliber of lyricism being traded between the bars.

Where is Ghostface Killah when you need him? This is the kind of beat that Tony Starks lives for. I guess we have to “settle” for Raekwon, master chef. This is the man who brought us some of the most classic hip-hop albums in history. It’s fair to say that over the years he has reached “unhateable” status and this time around is no different.

To everybody involved with this track: please keep making timeless hip-hop like this! It makes me want to sit in my leather-bound armchair with my red smoking jacket, a stogie, and a glass of Courvoisier.